Grits
Ingredients
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- 1 cups stone-ground grits
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and kosher salt to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. While whisking, slowly sprinkle in the stone-ground grits to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to low so the surface barely simmers.
3. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom and sides, until the grains are fully tender and the texture is creamy and spoonable, 45–60 minutes. The grits should hold a soft mound and the individual kernels should be tender with just a slight bite.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the unsalted butter until melted and incorporated.
5. Season with the black pepper, cover, and let stand 5 minutes to thicken slightly. Stir and serve hot.
Grits are a warm, savory corn porridge with a creamy body and gentle, nubbly texture from coarsely ground dried corn. When cooked patiently, the starches bloom and suspend the grains in a silky base that carries butter and seasoning beautifully. The flavor is mild and toasty-sweet from the corn itself, making grits a versatile companion to eggs, greens, braises, and seafood, or a comforting bowl on their own.
The dish traces to Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern woodlands, who pounded or ground dried maize and simmered it into nourishing porridges. Enslaved Africans and European settlers adopted and adapted these preparations, and grits became a foundational staple of the American South. Through the 19th and 20th centuries, stone-ground grits from regional mills remained a household constant, with hominy grits (alkali-treated) and plain dent-corn grits both common. Today, traditional slow-cooked stone-ground grits are prized for depth of flavor and texture, anchoring breakfasts and iconic plates like shrimp and grits.